In my opinion, by Antoine Rousseau, Paris

Antoine Rousseau, Paris

For me it is always a great pleasure, when travelling abroad to teach or to dance, to meet new and old friends, to check and compare similarities and differences between cultures and habits. Whether it is over a drink, during a teachers’ workshop, or just staying with friends, all are times to share our experiences and discover new aspects of dancing and teaching. One of the most common talking points is always the ageing nature of groups and the challenge of attracting younger dancers. I have often been asked if we have some magic gift as we have so many young people dancing in Paris! Of course, there is no magic recipe and the situation varies a lot from one group to another, depending, for example, on how big the town is, the proximity of universities, etc. The RSCDS has developed a strategy and tools such as Spring Fling, Youth Weeks, the Youth Services Committee, a Youth Branch, dedicated grants, all of which encourage the younger generation.

At branch level, a lot can be done and it may be of interest here to share how the Paris Branch has evolved over the years. The original group of dancers formed nearly 50 years ago from people mostly in their 20s and 30s: this group later became the Branch. A few years later, when I started dancing as a teenager, the group was still young and extremely dynamic and I was ecstatic when I was able to go to classes or evening dances. By the late 90s, however, many of those founding members had stopped dancing for whatever reason. The Paris Branch had turned into a social but much older group. Ten years later we started a technique class, dedicated to newcomers, to complement the social class. Some young people joined; some brought their friends; the critical thing was that we attracted a core of young dancers, who then attracted more. Some started to play for class, some qualified as teachers, some joined the committee. They rejuvenated the Branch by running a beginners’ technique class at the same time as the advanced one, both followed by a social, hectic and fun dance altogether.

Here are some of the tactics we have used:

What do young dancers look for when joining a Scottish country dance group for the first time? The answer is fun, friends, energy and movement. Those are their priorities. Scottish dancing can easily fulfil all their expectations. Any beginners’ class should be fun and emphasize from the start the pleasure of dancing together using energetic simple dances with driving tunes. Avoid formality. Go a little bit wild from time to time with clapping and shouting! At the same time encourage newcomers to bring their friends, brothers, sisters, cousins to make the social experience even better. Going to the pub before and after dancing; and making use of social media are very effective ways to build relationships and create a welcoming ethos. Having special welcome nights such as a Youth Week has proven to be very valuable.

Young dancers want technique! They insist on having more technique classes. Young dancers do not generally start dancing for the sake of technique, but they soon realize that dancing better increases the pleasure they get from dancing. I personally don’t know of any dancer who does not want to improve or, at least, dance to the best of his or her ability. This is true for all generations, but it is particularly true of younger dancers because they have the greatest potential for improvement.

How do we retain young people in the group for longer than a few weeks or months? This is critical. Apart from the fun and social aspect, as well as the technical challenge of dancing, it is important to ask them what they are interested in doing in the group and encouraging them. Some want to join the committee, or start MC’ing or teaching, or playing music, or devising dances, or organizing events. The energy and commitment of our young Parisian dancers is absolutely amazing. They have created a modern website, published a book of dances with original tunes, formed a band for evening dances and organized musicians for the weekly class. They have started teaching and MC’ing, and last but not least, organized a brilliant and successful Spring Fling and Fringe here in Paris. None of this could have happened without the creation of a welcoming, inclusive ethos, where everyone is valued and their talents encouraged.

Scottish dancing is global! When young dancers realize they can dance and make new friends in other parts of the world, they are hooked. Although some will move to other places to study or for their career, they will hopefully keep dancing wherever they find themselves. At the same time, we in Paris Branch are so happy to welcome young dancers who started elsewhere. This guarantees the future of Scottish dancing and the unique pleasure of all generations dancing together.

Antoine dancing at the Spring Fling and Spring Fringe